"Almost Everyone Told Me, 'Good Luck!' (laughs)" — Behind-the-Scenes Recording of Chiwa Saitō for "The Irregular at Magic High School THE MOVIE - Yotsuba Succession Arc -"

The latest installment in the series, "The Irregular at Magic High School THE MOVIE - Yotsuba Succession Arc -," is set to be released on May 8. This film follows the timeline of the third season of the TV anime "The Irregular at Magic High School," which aired in April 2024, and serves as the animation of the "Yotsuba Succession Arc" from the 16th volume of the original light novel.

A key figure in the "Yotsuba Succession Arc" is Maya Yotsuba, the current head of the Yotsuba family. As the aunt of Tatsuya and Miyuki, Maya’s involvement in the third season of the TV anime was largely indirect, such as requesting Tatsuya’s cooperation via letters. However, in this film, the story begins when she invites Miyuki to the "Keishunkai," a New Year’s Day gathering at the Yotsuba main residence that she personally attends.

In this article, we interviewed Chiwa Saitō, who plays Maya Yotsuba, to talk about the recording of this film and Maya’s character.

As indicated by the film’s catchphrase, "The most terrifying truth hidden within the Yotsuba family," the secrets of the siblings, Tatsuya and Miyuki, as well as Maya’s own secrets, are crucial points of the story. Regarding the recording sessions, Saitō, who plays Maya, candidly recalled, "Almost everyone, including Nakamura-kun and the directors, told me, 'Good luck!' (laughs)."

Regarding the recording of the dialogue-heavy scenes unique to this film, she said, "In the dialogue scenes that shake the very foundation of the story, I struggled with how much of Lady Maya’s emotion I should pour in. First, I would perform a take, and then I would go back and do retakes for parts where I was instructed to perform with more emotion."

She initially worried that having parts with a larger emotional range might create an inconsistent impression. However, she says she soon realized that the performance is directed through a combination of not just the acting but the visuals as well. "I faithfully adjusted my performance according to the orders to show more emotion in specific scenes, trusting in the directors," she summarized.

Concluding her thoughts, she commented, "I felt once again that anime is a form of composite art. The final picture of how everything comes together exists in the minds of the directors, so I performed my role to align with that vision."